Which states had the highest number of voter fraud prosecutions in the 2024 election?
Executive summary
Data compiled by researchers and reporting indicate that prosecutions tied to alleged voter fraud in 2024 were scarce and geographically scattered rather than concentrated in a few large clusters; the Heritage Foundation’s database identified roughly 20 cases brought in 2024 (not all criminal convictions), while state-level announcements — most prominently Texas and isolated Georgia cases — drew the most public attention [1] [2] [3]. Reporting and academic analysis emphasize that these small tallies sit against a long-term record showing proven election fraud and prosecutions are rare and have not altered outcomes [4] [5].
1. The raw tally: a small national footprint, according to public databases
The most commonly cited aggregation for recent years is the Heritage Foundation’s “Election Fraud Database,” which, according to Newsweek’s reporting on that dataset, recorded 1,561 historical instances and said 20 cases were brought in 2024 — a low absolute number compared with the scale of U.S. voting [1]. Independent analysts at Brookings and other scholars similarly conclude that confirmed cases and prosecutions are a tiny fraction of votes cast and that widespread criminal voting in 2024 was not substantiated by those datasets [5] [4].
2. Which states drew the most reported enforcement activity in 2024
Public-facing enforcement in 2024 that received the most coverage centered on Texas and episodic cases in Georgia and Florida: the Texas Attorney General announced investigations into 33 potential noncitizen voters and publicized several indictments connected to a Frio County vote‑harvesting scheme, making Texas one of the most visible states for 2024 enforcement actions [2]. Georgia drew attention for a high‑profile Fulton County registration case and federal scrutiny of election records, though that coverage mixes different inquiries and does not equate to a statewide high count of prosecutions [3] [6]. Florida has been cited as placing more prosecutorial resources into election‑crime offices and referrals, an institutional choice that increases the likelihood of more cases but not necessarily mass fraud [7].
3. Why a simple “top states” list is unreliable with available sources
Available sources do not publish a comprehensive, state-by-state ranked list of 2024 prosecutions; Heritage provides case entries but does not present a definitive, contemporaneous ranking for that single year in the materials cited here, and academic summaries emphasize aggregate scarcity rather than concentration [8] [1] [4]. News releases from state attorneys general (for example Texas) document referrals and investigations, but those figures mix probes, indictments and administrative actions — categories that database compilers and reporters treat differently [2] [1]. Therefore, asserting a definitive numeric ranking of “highest number of prosecutions” by state for 2024 would overclaim beyond what the cited reporting documents [1] [2].
4. Instrumental motives, data definitions and partisan context
The terrain is politicized: conservative outlets and the Heritage database emphasize documented instances and prosecutions to argue fraud exists and merits more resources, while watchdog groups and academic centers warn laws and new enforcement offices can enable partisan prosecutions and overreach — a point made by the Brennan Center and cited reporting on Florida and Georgia’s legislative changes [7] [9]. Analysts at Brookings and others stress that even multi‑state campaigns alleging systemic fraud have not matched the empirical record, and that many alleged violations reflect clerical errors, confusion about eligibility, or long‑tail administrative issues rather than coordinated fraud [5] [4].
5. Bottom line: visible hotspots, but no broad concentration established in public reporting
Public sources show a handful of states (notably Texas and some high‑profile Georgia incidents) accounted for much of the 2024 news about prosecutions and investigations, but they do not establish a clear, ranked list of “highest number” statewide prosecutions for 2024 — the Heritage dataset counts ~20 cases that year while Texas’s AG communications highlight many referrals and investigations, and academic reporting frames the phenomena as localized and rare [1] [2] [4]. Reporting limits prevent a definitive numeric ranking; the best-supported conclusion from the cited sources is that prosecutions in 2024 were few, scattered, and amplified in public debate far more than by volume in the underlying data [5] [1].